"healthy fast food" news and stories

About to grab the usual Egg McMuffin from Mickey D's for your fast-food breakfast fix? According to Health magazine's March issue, you might want to grab the McDonald's oatmeal with fruit instead. You'll get less fat, more fiber, and fewer calories.

Health has come up with their top-ten list of the healthiest fast-food breakfasts under 400 calories, says USA Today. The list includes not only that oatmeal, but a simple and fit veggie omelet from IHOP (pictured here), and, for fruit lovers, Jamba Juice's berry topper ideal meal, of yogurt, fruit, seeds, and granola.

For all the full list, with calorie counts, see the story at USA Today.

See our Starbucks vs. Dunkin' Donuts Breakfast Sandwich Taste Test

If the old saying, "you are what you eat" holds true, plenty of us are walking-talking chicken nuggets, a side-order of fries and an icy-cold soft drink. Yoxi.tv founder Sharon Chang is trying to change that through an internet-based competition in which teams of problem solvers tackle the most egregious issues surrounding fast food.

The challenge? To devise real solutions to our nation's fast and cheap food habits, and to spread those ideas through online videos on the Yoxi.tv (pronounced YO-see) website. Whether those solutions come by way of products, technology, ad campaigns or community programs is up to the teams themselves.

The idea is a riff off of American Idol. Instead of bestowing a singer with super-stardom, the ultimate goal of the Yoxi competition is to find and fund solutions. Just don't look for Simon Cowell's scowl or snarkiness here. Judges include Food Politics author Marion Nestle; notable chef and Wholesome Wave founder Michel Nischan, and Whole Foods Market Northeast Region president Christina Minardi.

"What I love about this is the social change bent," Nischan told Slashfood. "It's not just the most talented person wins. Whoever wins this has the opportunity to get the type of support to pursue a dream that makes life better for many people, not just one."

With options like sausage, egg and cheese biscuits and fried hash brown potatoes, finding a healthy breakfast on-the-go can be a challenge. But a handful of healthy options can be found at fast food outlets, CBS News reported.

Nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot, contributor to Cooking Light magazine, gave viewers of "The Early Show" on CBS the lowdown on eating a healthy breakfast on the run.

If you're getting your caffeine fix at Starbucks, go for the Protein Plate: a combo of fruit, peanut butter, a hard boiled egg and a mini bagel that totals 370 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 17 grams each of protein and fat, CBS reported.

What should you order at McDonald's?

Everybody knows that the safest bet if you want to eat healthy is to cook at home so you can control the ingredients. But that's not always an option when you're traveling or just crazy-busy. A new Food Court Survival Guide from cookinglight.com addresses that dilemma and offers six relatively healthy choices from McDonald's, Taco Bell, Starbucks and other fast-food restaurants.

Sodium, saturated fat and calories were the key considerations for the guide, according to the author, Katherine Brooking, M.S., R.D. While salads and sandwiches with grilled chicken are obvious choices, there were a few surprises on the list. Two items, including the Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco from Taco Bell, have beef, which is often considered a no-no for people trying to eat healthy. There's also a "Wok Smart" entrée from Panda Express that's not bursting with sodium (a common pitfall with fast food, says Brooking) and has only 250 calories. In other words, it's not only low in calories -- it's too low in calories for lunch, which should be 350 to 500 calories or more, depending on your individual calorie needs, says Brooking. (She suggests adding some extra brown rice and perhaps another side if you need a full meal).